potential

So here we are a new year, a fresh start, a whole twelve months ahead of us. I have been pondering and thinking about this new year for a few weeks now, what I hope for, what I envision, what I need. In all the thinking (and praying), I decided to set some goals or new year resolutions for this year. Most of the time we knock the whole “new year resolutions” because frankly, most of the time they are not kept. I know everything I hoped for last year was not accomplished, yet a lot of it was. For that I am proud. And I know I am a person who needs goals, who needs vision, to keep me on track in the right direction. I heard it said well one Sunday that if you don’t have vision, other things will come and take you in other directions. I want to enrich my life, my soul and make better use of my time. So here are a few things on my list:

– to spend more time with God in His word

I want to live a life of worship, not occasional acts of worship. To do so means I need to spend more time with Him. It’s just that simple.

– to read more (I really love to read and don’t always make time for it)

reading, re-reading or to be read

– I want to have a little more music in my life, whether it be listening to or playing

Thanks to Spotify, I’ve been listening to more music recently. I go check out a few friends pages (whose musical taste I trust – I don’t trust just anybody) and look for something new. The other day I listened to the Civil Wars for the very first time (I know, I’m behind) and it was like my soul awakened. Just beautiful! As well, I have such a lovely piano sitting in my home that is calling out to me to dust off its keys. It has been awhile my friend, but I have not forgotten you!

– Begin crafting again

I used to make cards for invites, thank you’s, birthdays, etc but somewhere along the way, I let it go. I have so many ideas that float around in my head I want to make use of them and take crafting to the next level. No more saying I want to do this, or I want to learn that, it’s just time to do it. So I have a little list of ideas to work on but I’m not going to pressure myself to get it all done, it’s just whatever flows naturally. It’s a learning process for myself. Plus, a co-worker of the huzband started a blog that has really inspired me: Lauren Wilgus.

all I need is some yarn, time to make this happen

– continue to learn and grow in my photography

The more I learn, the more I love it. The more I love it, the more I want to do it. The more I do it, the more I learn. It’s an ever evolving cycle. In my journal I have some points under this one, areas for me to focus on. Again, I can’t tackle it all at once, but it helps point me in the right direction. One of those points was something I heard this past Sunday that got me thinking, and that was, how can I glorify God in what I do (pertaining to photography). I believe I glorify God when I use well a gift He has given me but I want to take it beyond that. I don’t know what it will look like but I want to keep myself open.

So that’s it. Now you know. Now you can ask me how things are going, keep me accountable because I have made it public. However, I’ve learned that I need accountability and I think that’s a good thing. In all the new year hubbub, one of my favorite women’s athletic clothing stores, Athleta, said it best, (hey, inspiration can come from anywhere!!):

“We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives…not looking for flaws, but for potential.”

– Ellen Goodman, Journalist

of course we are going to see more exercise goals this year, but it’s now a way of life, not a resolution

So I ask you, what is your potential for this year? I would love to hear it!